Social Inquiry

 Teaching History at Murdoch University

The History Curriculum

All degrees at Murdoch are divided into two parts. Part One is the first year of study and must include a Foundation Unit. Students majoring in History are required to take two History units at Part One level, Different Histories, usually taught in First Semester and Turning Points in History, usually taught in Second Semester. They are thematically organised units which introduce students to the ways historians think, the skills and concepts needed by History students, most of the areas and periods covered at Part Two level, and most of the History staff. Part One students are encouraged to broaden their knowledge and skills by undertaking elective units drawn from other Programmes, Schools and Divisions. They are also free and encouraged to meet the prerequisites of several potential majors at this stage, and the taking of double majors is encouraged.

There is no concept of 'second year' and 'third year' units at Murdoch; all Part Two units are at the same level. At Part Two level History majors must complete 24 points of History units (usually in the form of six four-point units). At least eight points must come from each of any two of five areas: American, Asian, Australian, British & European, and Comparative. There are no required units or prescribed sequences; the approach is to allow students to choose units of interest to them with minimal restrictions designed to prevent too narrow a focus. Part Two units are available biennially, which allows a relatively small staff to offer a relatively wide range of units. Staff endeavour to offer History majors as much span as possible (mostly within the modern period) and, for this reason among others, value the Asian History units taught by historians administratively located in the School of Asian Studies. Independent Study Contracts allow students both to pursue independent learning under the individual supervision of a staff member and to prepare for Honours. These ISCs normally earn four points of credit.

The History major is offered on both campuses, at Murdoch and at Rockingham. From 2002 a History Minor, Modern Social History, will be offered.

Honours in History takes the form of an additional year of study following a pass degree. A dissertation makes up half the load, the remainder being historiographical, methodological and other coursework.

Service teaching

Most of History's service teaching comes in the form of the electives its units provide to students majoring in many other Programmes. Enrolments in History units will normally include a number of students who are not History majors, there being no prerequisites for enrolment in any History unit. Some units, such as Australian Popular Culture and Australian Environmental History, usually enrol more than 50% non-History students. Another of History's major contributions to service teaching is found in Dr Michael Sturma's co-ordination of Reinventing Australia, one of the University's largest Foundation units. As well, Dr Jan Gothard co-ordinates Australia and its Asian Context, a history unit specially designed to cater to American semester-abroad students. Six of the History programme's units are recommended electives in four programmes outside the School.

Interdisciplinary teaching

History staff are also active in multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary teaching. Dr Gavin Daly teaches European Mythologies in collaboration with the English & Comparative Literature Programme while Dr Lenore Layman teaches Cultural Tourism as an elective in the Tourism Programme with Dr Malissa Pearl Helms from the Sociology Programme. In 1997 England in the Seventeenth Century was co-ordinated by Dr Helen Brash from the History Programme and Dr Rowan Strong of the Theology Programme.

Postgraduate Research

History maintains a healthy level of postgraduate activity with a spread across the Australian, British and American fields. Postgraduates in the Asian history area normally enrol through Asian Studies. Regular work-in-progress seminars are held.

History Postgraduate Thesis Completions from 1995

Ph D 1995

Simon Karginoff	'The Protestant Constitutionalists and Ultra-Toryism in Britain, 1792-1846'
Vernon Porritt	'British Colonial Rule in Sarawak 1946-1963' Ken Spillman 'A matter of priorities: colonial politics and administration of development policies in Western Australia 1883-1902'

Ph D 1996

Russell Dean

'Owenism, Cooperation, Socialism and Political Economy, 1817-1835'

Ph D 1997

Rita Farrell	'Dangerous women : constructions of female criminality in Western Australia 1915-1945'
Peter Gifford	'Aspects of Australian newspaper journalism and the cold war, 1945-1956'

Ph D 1998

Judith Berman	'Public forms of holocaust remembrance in Jewish communities in Melbourne, Perth and Sydney, 1945-96'
Christina Gillgren	'From aliens to ethnics : identity and citizenship in a study of Italians and Croatians in the Western Australian southwest timber industry 1919-1969'
Richard Hartley	'A history of technological change in Kalgoorlie gold metallurgy 1895-1915'
Mary Anne Jebb	'"No more head stockman, he's a chairman now": the making and breaking of the pastoral system in the Kimberley Ranges, 1903-1972'

PhD 2000

Greg Brotherson

'John Horne Tooke (1736-1812): Revolutionary and Libeller'

MPhil 1995

David Galloway	'The Western Australian Baptists Between the Wars 1918-1939'
Leonie Liveris	'An Analysis of the Aims, Methods, Organisation and Achievements of the Church of England Zenana Missionary Society, 1852-1920'

MPhil 1998

Linley Batterham

'A history of union organisation of laundry work in Western Australia 1912-1975'

MA in Public History 1996

Lynne Cairns

'Women's work in the Swan River colony 1829-1850'

MA in Public History 1997

Kristy Bizzaca	'A history of the development of the heritage movement and the establishment of heritage policy in the City of Fremantle 1955-1982'
Linley Chandler	'The development of Yanchep Caves as a tourist destination 1900-1941'
Mary Durnell	'The Happy Holiday Scheme: an investigation into the Country Women's Accociation's provision of sea-side holidays for rural children in Western Australia 1937-1949'

MA in Public History 1998

Chantal Gurney-Pringle

'The concept of heritage prectincts and legislative implications for Western Australia: the City of Melville's heritage precinct'